Dr. Lee is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and of the American College of Chest Physicians, and joined NYHQ in 2003 as an attending thoracic surgeon. He is an associate professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and an associate attending surgeon in the department of cardiothoracic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Lee received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University and completed internship and residency at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a chief resident in general surgery. He was then a fellow in thoracic surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and a fellow in cardiothoracic surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He completed an additional fellowship in minimally invasive thoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

“Dr. Lee’s expertise and experience as a surgeon are obviously outstanding,” said Dr. Lang. “His leadership capabilities make him an ideal choice to lead our thoracic surgery division.” Dr. Lang also noted that Dr. Lee has a particular interest in working with thoracic surgeons in the community to ensure the best delivery of surgical care for patients with all types of chest conditions, from lung cancer to emphysema to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Dr. Lee has been extensively involved in clinical trials and research studies. He has authored or co-authored more than fifty peer-reviewed journal articles, with recent publications in The Annals of Surgical Oncology and Annals of Thoracic Surgery. He has contributed chapters on en bloc esophagectomy in the textbook “Esophageal Cancer: Principles and Practice” and the newest edition of the textbook “General Thoracic Surgery.” He is currently an investigator or co-investigator in more than a dozen basic and clinical research trials, on subjects such as novel biological therapies for lung cancer. His most recent presentations to national and international medical meetings include the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting, the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, and the XVII International Congress of Endoscopic Surgery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.